So was Bill Nick wrong or has the Champions League devalued the second tier tournament that is the Europa?
I’ve been pondering this issue as I firmly believe that a good few Yids have not only been angered by the whole ‘IdiotGate I & II’ business, but the shortchanged feeling that the absence of Champions League football has filled their hearts.
One minute they were trading bragging rights blows with the big boys, the next they’re back in their box and facing the wrong end of an 18 game tournament usually haunted by the likes of Fulham and now the illustrious Blackpools and Brums of the world.
Let’s not fill another page with Arry’s a ****. Maybe he is, I don’t know the man. But what I do now is we’re in deep, maybe far deeper than those merely on a salary. Europe is something to be cherished and a platform to exploit.
It needs to be managed right or it’ll deteriorate into a The Three Stooges sketch with lots of charging around, bumping into each other and cartoon violence as we implode. The teams fielded need to be comprised of teams that are capable of wearing the shirt, but not at the expense of the Premiership campaign.
I rather snidely referred to this approach as incorporating the scraps a week or so ago, but if you look at our squad there is enough depth there. Sure, hopefully we’ll sell a few that have been loaned in the last term, but with those that we don’t surely they’d revel in tackling the Europa? I’m sure Levy & Co wouldn’t be against these ‘grey men’ raising their profiles and perhaps the value of their stock?
Some supporters need to examine just where they stand. Missing out on Champions League is a crying shame, but we reached the quarter finals with our first go at it. There is no Easy Street here and it’s down to everyone from the bloke listening on half naffed radio in Kuala Lumpur to the seen it all season ticket holder to the men on the pitch to rise to the naffin’ challenge.
Wanting us to finish 6th was the equivalent of a spoiled child wanting nothing at all if it can’t have another ice cream.
To paraphrase Harold Shand in The Long Good Friday, “What I’m looking for is someone who can contribute to what Tottenham has given to the world: culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than crying over spilled milk , know what I mean?”
Every Single Goal This Season In One Mighty Video
we’re in it,so lets do it
Playing second string has to be the way forward; and depending on where we are in PL say at Xmas I’d suggest this ethos all the way through
A couple of weeks back I was calling for us to re-enter the reserves leageu; we dont need to now
Forhodsake has it about right. No point in our establish players getting involved, they need the rest and a fresh go at top 4 next year
…………..all under Mr Redknapps stewardship
sorry couldnt resist
Under Mr Clown’s stewardship.
Sorry, couldn’t resist. :whistle:
Nope.
Europa Cup football is a problem.
You get to play 2nd rate teams. Therefore it is not an attractive proposition for a prospective player to join us to play in this competition. The argument that players would join us to experience this level of European competition falls flat because teams will often use it as an experience builder for their 2nd stringers – in other words it’s not a platform for that £30 million striker you just bought who came to you because you offered European football. He wants Champions League.
It’s worth next to nada, in financial and “glory” terms. It has been devalued by the importance of the CL. It is devalued by the greater importance of the domestic league, and qualification for the CL.
About Bill Nick’s quote, what he said stood once, but to apply it in modern terms the “Europe” bit needs swapping out for “Champions League”.
Harry two weeks ago apparently didn’t want it. I suspect Levy appreciated the extra revenue streams over nothing at all, via sponsors etc., and told Harry in no uncertain terms that the club indeed did want it.
As long as it’s treated as a 2nd class competition and we blood in the youngsters mixed with senior fringe players to keep them fit, then that’s it’s merit in a nutshell.
UEFA Cup 1984 = Glory. UEFA Cup 2012 = Who really cares much? Unless these youngsters win it as we finish in the Top 4 in the Prem, then = Filled with pride. IMO of course.
And your opinion is always welcome. I agree it won’t attract players. Not good ones anyway. This next season is about treading water, something teams on the way up do, so a good many are going to have like it or lump it.
You can guarantee Levy & Co wanted it. The rent must be met. Especially with all that stock (players) doing little but get dusty and depreciate on the shelves.
Let bloody PSB captain this gang of renegades accused of a crime they probably did commit…
*exits to A Team theme*
FC Porto, Villareal, Valencia are these really second rate teams FC Porto did not play their kids and won it are we not looking at Hulk and Osvaldo this trophy is better than winning the Carling cup which we won some 5 years ago and we went mad when we won it
We should try to win every competition we enter i think Europa would be better if it was at straight knock out not home and away just like FA Cup if you draw Porto away so be it much more exciting
I would like us to give it a crack actually. It’s a trophy that we’d have a good chance of winning, and it would be nice to win something. Would rather take the Europa seriously to the Carling cup.. I feel more nervous about who Harry might or might not be eyeing up to spend our transfer money on. Let’s face it, of all the players (i’m talking his own signings) he has brought to the club – Krank, Defoe, Crouch, Keane, Bassong, Gallas, Cudicini, Palacios, Pletikosa, Pienaar…(TEN PLAYERS!!) pretty much any of them, save Gallas could leave without too much of a protest from the fans. Don’t mean to Harry Bash – the seasons over now and time to bite the tongue and move on in my opinion – just not confident on his possible signings. Giving me nightmares!
you forgot VDV how could you
I’ve held my tongue for a good long while on the whole ‘is EL even worth it’ debate. Have to have my say now.
I don’t for a second understand any fan who actually wanted us to fall short of EL qualification. Sure, it’s not as glamorous as CL, nor as lucrative. Until UEFA get their finger out and grant CL qualification to the EL winner (or perhaps even both finalists) it will continue to be the poor relation according to club owners and mainstream media everywhere.
Still, isn’t it the fans who decide what really matters? Yeah, club owners hold CL in MUCH higher regard because of what it does to their bank balance. But since when was that how a fan measured the success of their team – measured the glory of the game?
Sure, EL adds games to the fixture list. But not many more than CL does. No more games than a top team HAS TO cope with to stay at the top. If we can’t finish top four while also playing extra European matches, then we’ll never be considered a team to be reckoned with. We need to maintain a squad capable of playing 60-70 games. That is very difficult if you’re only playing 40-50 games.
Yeah, MS, you’re right. Top players might not join us solely because they want to play in EL. HOWEVER, it is even more certain that they will not join us on merit of not being in Europe at all. On the other hand, it might help bringing in stars if they see that we are consistently involved in Europe (next season will make it 5 of the last 6 seasons). With ManC joining us at the grownup’s table, and ‘Poo back in it, things will change. Players will soon realize that there really aren’t any teams in England that guarantee CL football every single year. Besides, we managed to sign Modders, Bale, Dawson, Sandro and Berbatov without Champions’ League footie. It’s not impossible to get the best players, it’s just a little bit easier to get them if you’re ManU or Cheatski.
EL may mean about 15m less (on average) than CL. It is still about 5m more than no Europe at all. I don’t know if people were aware, but money, in addition to CL participation, is something that attracts the best players.
Unless you regularly phone in to talk radio show to give Harry ‘a piece of your mind’, you should not be offended by Idiotgate. In fact, even if you do, you shouldn’t be offended. If you are deeply offended, I don’t think we can be friends. You will be I like the fact that we have a manager who speaks his mind. I like the fact that we have a manager who can manipulate public opinion and the media. It would be great if being a ‘nice guy’ like BMJ was what made a great manager. But it isn’t. Just ask Ferguson and Mourinho. So Harry says some ostensibly stupid things. Please note however, after his rants about EL being a drag and the idiots criticizing him, that we won both of our games confidently and promptly qualified for Ropey Dope. Cynics will say he was covering his ass in case of failure. I see it as him trying to lull the opposition into complacency, or at least cover his players’ asses in case of failure.
In an age where the top teams are less dominant, and the bottom teams more competitive then ever before, Harry has managed the highest win percentage of any post-war manager with more than 100 games in charge. In fact, he has the 4rd highest win % of anyone ever to lead Spurs. Higher than Bill the Great. If you don’t believe me, look up Spurs on Wikipedia.
So I have faith in the manager (or at least suspended disbelief). I know without a doubt that we have the best chairman in the league. We have won over the hearts of an entire continent this term with our performances, and it would be tragic if 6th place had meant we couldn’t keep on reminding Europe to remember the Hotspur.
“If you are deeply offended, I don’t think we can be friends. You will be I like the fact that”
Oops, should have read:
If you are deeply offended, I don’t think we can be friends. You will be offended by about half of the things that I say. I like the fact that…